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Title / Load and unload a general freight vehicle
Level / 3 / Credits / 4
Purpose / This unit standard is for drivers, operators, loaders, and others engaged in loading and unloading general freight vehicles.
People credited with this unit standard are able to: plan the loading of a general freight vehicle; load the vehicle; restrain, secure, and protect the load; and unload the vehicle.
Classification / Commercial Road Transport > Goods Service
Available grade / Achieved
Explanatory notes
1Legal and formal requirements relevant to this unit standard include:
Carriage of Goods Act 1979;
Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992;
Land Transport Act 1998;
Land Transport (Driver Licensing) Rule 1999;
Land Transport (Driver Licensing) Amendment Rule 2006;
Land Transport (Road User) Rule 2004;
The Official New Zealand Truck Loading Code – Code of Practice for the Safety of Loads on Heavy Vehicles (current edition), available from booksellers (referred to below as the Truck Loading Code).
2Any new, amended or replacement Acts, regulations, Rules, standards, codes of practice, or NZ Transport Agency requirements or conditions affecting this unit standard will take precedence for assessment purposes, pending review of this unit standard.
3Definitions
Documentation includes Dangerous Goods declarations, proof of delivery dockets (POD), written delivery instructions.
Load planningmeans the load arrangement (includes recognising symbols on freight) and/or distribution, ie order of loading and unloading.
Load platform is the part of the vehicle designed to carry goods.
Load restraint systems aremethods of securing loads to prevent load movement during deceleration in forward or rearward direction, during cornering or while travelling over undulating roads. Normally provided by anchor points, baulking arrangements securely attached to the vehicle, or direct or indirect restraint between the load and the load platform.
Load securing devices areitems used to secure loads and may include clamps, special bolts, steel wire rope, chains, webbing straps, rope, cordage made from natural or synthetic fibres, certified curtains, head/side boards, and tensioners.
Organisational requirements include any legal requirements, standards, codes of practice, organisational and/or site requirements, industry best practice, and manufacturers’ instructions. These must be available to candidates, providers, and assessors.
4Reference material
Information relating to the maximum permitted vehicle weights and dimensions can be found in Land Transport Rule: Vehicle Dimensions and Mass 2002 and Land Transport NZ Factsheets, 13a (Heavy Rigid Vehicles) and 13c (Towing andTrailers: full, semi, simple, pole, A- and B-train).
5The vehicle utilised for assessment must be a heavy motor vehicle as defined in section 2 of the Land Transport Act 1998. The vehicle is to be designed for the carriage of goods, excluding bulk contained loads such as liquids, bulk dry goods, or aggregates; and vans.
6This unit standard does not include the loading or unloading of dangerous goods/hazardous substances or overdimension loads.
7Assessment against this unit standard shall be conducted under practical workplace conditions.
8Loading and unloading of fragile goods may be assessed using simulated rather than actual situations.
Outcomes and evidence requirements
Outcome 1
Plan the loading of a general freight vehicle.
Evidence requirements
1.1Load planning is in accordance with loading and unloading locations, characteristics of the load, the use of materials handling equipment, and unloading sequence.
1.2The transport and delivery documentation is checked to ensure compliance with legal and organisational requirements and customer delivery instructions.
1.3The load weight is determined; the width, height, and length checked; any dangerous goods identified; and appropriate action taken to vary the load as required.
Outcome 2
Load the vehicle.
Evidence requirements
2.1The load is distributed safely within the load platform to meet legal weight and dimension requirements. This includes any redistribution required following pick-ups or deliveries.
Outcome 3
Restrain, secure, and protect the load.
Evidence requirements
3.1Load restraint systems are employed as appropriate to the load and as required by the Truck Loading Code.
3.2Load securing devices are selected and applied as appropriate to the load and as required by the Truck Loading Code.
3.3Load is protected from the environment with due attention given to type of load and organisational requirements.
Outcome 4
Unload the vehicle.
Evidence requirements
4.1The vehicle is unloaded safely in accordance with organisational requirements and customer instructions. This includes any redistribution of remaining load required following deliveries.
4.2Documentation relating to the delivered load is completed in accordance with customer and organisational requirements.
Planned review date / 31 December 2019Status information and last date for assessment for superseded versions
Process / Version / Date / Last Date for AssessmentRegistration / 1 / 9 April 1996 / 31 December 2017
Review / 2 / 25 May 1999 / 31 December 2017
Revision / 3 / 2 November 2000 / 31 December 2017
Review / 4 / 22 March 2005 / 31 December 2017
Review / 5 / 25 May 2007 / 31 December 2017
Review / 6 / 16 April 2015 / N/A
Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR) reference / 0092
This CMR can be accessed at
Please note
Providers must be granted consent to assess against standards (accredited) by NZQA, before they can report credits from assessment against unit standards or deliver courses of study leading to that assessment.
Industry Training Organisations must be granted consent to assess against standards by NZQA before they can register credits from assessment against unit standards.
Providers and Industry Training Organisations, which have been granted consent and which are assessing against unit standards must engage with the moderation system that applies to those standards.
Requirements for consent to assess and an outline of the moderation system that applies to this standard are outlined in the Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR). The CMR also includes useful information about special requirements for organisations wishing to develop education and training programmes, such as minimum qualifications for tutors and assessors, and special resource requirements.
Comments on this unit standard
Please contact the NZ Motor Industry Training Organisation (Incorporated) (MITO) if you wish to suggest changes to the content of this unit standard.
NZ Motor Industry Training Organisation (Incorporated) (MITO)SSB Code 101542 / New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2018